Montclair, NJ – Senior BROOKE POWERS went 6-for-7 with a home run and six runs batted in as Montclair State swept past Hunter College in its home opener at the MSU Softball Stadium on Saturday.

LIA STAMILE and ALANA LUNA each homered helping the Red Hawks (8-4) extended their winning streak to three games following 7-4 and 9-3 victories.  Powers scored four runs, added two doubles and picked up the victory in the circle in the first game as Montclair battled back each time from early deficits in both contests.

Trailing 2-0 in the opener, Montclair immediately answered in the bottom of the first tying the game. Powers singled in the first run and ALI WALEK drew a walk with the bases loaded bringing home NOEL HODGINS as the game was deadlocked at 2-2. Hunter went back out on top in the fourth but again MSU battled back as consecutive run-scoring doubles by Powers and LIA STAMILE tied the game again at 4-4.

Luna put the Red Hawks in front in the fifth with a towering homer over the left field wall, her first of the season, sparking a three-run inning by the Red Hawks. VICTORIA GEHRING delivered a run with a ground out and Samantha DiClementi scampered home on a wild pitch for a 7-4 lead.

Powers, who was 3-for-3 at the plate, made that lead hold up retiring six of the final eight batters she faced. The righthander improved to 3-2 as she allowed eight hits.
A wild pitch allowed Hunter to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the second game however Powers put Montclair back in front in the third with one swing of the bat, blasting a two-run homer. The Hawks (3-8) went back on top in the fourth with two runs but a throwing error in the fifth allowed Hodgins and Powers to score as Montclair regained the lead 4-3.

Luna added an RBI single in the inning and a two-run double by Powers in the sixth widened the lead to 7-3. Stamile blasted a two-run home run over the center field fence for the final two MSU runs.

Sophomore righthander SAM KEATING got the win with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Keating struck out two and walked one. Powers was 3-for-4 while Stamile and Hodgins recorded two hits apiece.  

MSU is off until Thursday, March 24 when it hosts Centenary College at home beginning at 3:00 pm.